Fighting Destiny
by NicoleMack
Summary: Penny decided to return the Charmed Ones powers a few years early - while they're still in high school. Piper however, has trouble dealing with this and needs some help. PL. Please R


Fighting Destiny

By PiperHWyatt@aol.com

"I can't believe you did this to us! How could you wreck our lives like this?"

"I think it's cool!" Phoebe cut in, and then received a slap from Prue.

"Shut up Phoebe," Piper replied with contempt.

"Piper, I didn't do this to you. It's in your destiny. One way or another, you three would have ended up as witches. Very powerful witches."

"But I don't want this! Don't I have the right to choose how I want to live my life? I had all of these plans for my future, and now you've ruined them all!" Penny had never seen her granddaughter this angry. And that wasn't to say she'd never seen her angry, she'd certainly displayed her share of slammed doors, loud arguments and spiteful silence. 

But this, this was far worse than anything. Piper's eyes were flashing a mixture of disbelief and fury. 

_Perhaps it was wrong of me to unbind their powers so soon._

"Piper, you have to understand, every woman in the Warren line has had to deal with this same destiny. You're not the only one who's had to adjust their life to accommodate this. And your future plans aren't ruined dear. You can still go out and be the world's greatest chef. You'll just be protecting innocents on the side."

"It's that simple is it?" Piper stated.

"Well no dear but.."

"Then I don't want it! Take it back! Get rid of it!"

Penny went to her, grabbing her arms to try and calm her down. "Piper, I can't take it back. You've always had your powers, right from the moment you were born. I simply cast a binding spell over the three of you to protect you from a warlock when Phoebe was born. I reversed the spell now because I want you all to learn how to use them again. I want you all to be strong and adept when the time comes for you to begin fighting all of this evil."

Piper had no response for that, and stormed out of the room, slamming her bedroom door a few seconds later. 

Penny turned to her other granddaughters, and asked, "So, how do you two feel about this?"

"I'm still kinda in shock here Grams," Prue replied.

"This is so cool Grams! How come we couldn't have our powers all the time? And how come I don't get an active power like Prue and Piper? It's not fair I only got premonitions. What can I do with them? Oh yeah, except know in advance when I'm gonna flunk a test. Mm, great!" Phoebe, as usual, was a bag of beans, never able to sit still, never able to keep quiet more than a couple of minutes. 

Penny knew, that of all three of her granddaughters, Phoebe would be the one to adjust the easiest. Being the youngest definitely had its advantages. She still hadn't planned much for her future, and would easily be able to incorporate this new development. 

Prue and Piper on the other hand; they were both planning futures, deciding what career they wanted to follow, which colleges suited them the best, and in Prue's case, which boy she thought she might marry when college was over. 

Prue would deal with it, Penny knew that. Whether she liked it or not, she would accept it, and get on with her life. That's the way she was, always having to deal with the harsh blows life would throw at her, not being able to lean on her sisters the way the other two could, she had grown into a young woman who simply dealt with life. 

Piper was the one she was most concerned about. She'd never handled change well, and had always taken the longest time to adjust to anything new. She had been the most lost when their mother died, not knowing whether she wanted to be here with her sisters, or up there with Patty. Penny was reminded of how Piper had regressed, constantly having nightmares, and wetting the bed. At five years old, she was deeply embarrassed by it, and swore Penny to secrecy. Prue and Phoebe had never found out, and so no one had been able to tease her about it. 

But it had taken her well over a year to grow out of it, and finally be comfortable with the family as it now stood: one grandmother, and three sisters. 

--

"Leo, we have called you here because the time has come for you to begin your biggest assignment. This is what you have been preparing for over the past forty-six years. You are about to take on absolute responsibility. You must not fail with these witches Leo. It's of utmost importance that they grow up, prepared to fulfil their destiny."

"Grow up? How old are they?" Leo asked, confused as to why he was being given these new charges before they had come of age. "I thought it was common practice to wait until the witches are adults before sending a whitelighter."

"It is, but as we have just explained, these witches are special. They are the legendary Charmed Ones, the most powerful witches of all time."

Leo was bewildered. "Me?" he asked in disbelief. "Why are you giving me these charges? Surely there is someone far more qualified, someone more capable of protecting them."

The senior elder shook his head, explaining, "No. All whitelighters, like mortals, have a destiny. This is yours."

"But I'm not-"

"You're more ready than you're willing to admit," the elder cut in, "Now this meeting is going to be slightly different than you're used to. The Halliwell girls are still teenagers. Their grandmother, Penny, has recently unbound their powers in order to prepare them for their future. But they aren't dealing very well with the revelation that they have powers, especially the middle child, Piper."

"Ok, so far, I'm not hearing anything different. Most of the witches I've encountered have trouble dealing with their powers," Leo told the elders, waiting for the apparent different part of his impending assignment. 

"Because the girls are so young, you are not required to guide them full time. We need you to help Piper accept her powers, and then you must slip out of their lives again until the youngest has come of age."

"And how am I supposed to do that?"

"We're going to make you sixteen again," the elder replied, as though it were obvious. 

"Wh-what?" Leo sputtered, incredulous.

"Were going to make you sixteen. You will look, act and talk like a teenager, but you will retain the required powers and knowledge to complete the job."

"But how is that supposed to help Piper Halliwell? How will that help me get close to her?"

"Congratulations Leo Wyatt," the elder said, while waving his hand across Leo's face, casting the spell that would reverse Leo's age. "You are the newest student at Baker High."

--

With a knapsack slung over one shoulder, Leo headed into the main building of Baker High, in search of the administration office. Following the signs, he quickly arrived, glancing at a pretty brown haired girl who sat dejectedly in one of the chairs near the reception desk. He wondered what she had done to have been sent to the principal's office, but the thought was fleeting when the receptionist alerted him. 

"Can I help you?" she asked, in that typical, annoyed tone that all administration workers always seemed to have. 

"Um, hi. I'm Leo Wyatt. I'm supposed to collect my class schedule? I'm uh, new here," he spoke up, a little unsure of himself. 

"Oh yes, young Mr Wyatt. Your father called in your enrolment yesterday," she replied, rifling through her paper tray. 

"My father?" Leo thought, "I can always rely on the elders to give me an air tight background."

The receptionist pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to him. "Here's your schedule. Piper?" she called to the girl in the chair, "This is Leo. You can show him around the school, and then return to class."

"Yes Ms Wrigley," Piper replied, standing up and waiting for Leo to join her. He walked up to her, and held out his hand for her to shake, but lowered it when he realised both of her hands were full with her textbooks. 

"Come on," Piper said, leading him away from the office and back downstairs to the main doors of the school. "I guess you um, came in this way right?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, well I just figured that it's better if I show you your classrooms from here, since you're not gonna be looking for them from the direction of the office," she explained.

"Good idea," he smiled, complimenting her logical thinking. 

"Show me your class list," she immediately said, grabbing it out of his hands. While she studied it, he peeked over her shoulder, and discovered her full name written neatly in the top corner of her folder. Piper Halliwell. This was the girl her was sent to help. He really should have figured that out much sooner, with a name like Piper, she was sure to be the only person named that in the entire school. 

She started walking down the hall, and he quickly caught up, walking along by her side. "I'm not one of those dorks who volunteer to do the tours for all the new students, if that's what you're thinking," she told him, refusing to glance at him. 

"Why would I think that?"

"I don't know, I just didn't want there to be any confusion."

"So why are you doing it?"

"Everyone has to take some sort of volunteer thing each semester. This one required the least amount of work, especially if there aren't many new students. I wouldn't be doing this otherwise."

"Gee, thanks," Leo replied sarcastically.

She finally looked at him, and her eyes softened a little, the apology written all over her face. "Sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"Forget it. So um, which of my classes are we going to right now?"

"Art. We're in the same class actually, Mrs Noonan, first period after lunch. She's a cool teacher, but she doesn't like me. I'm terrible at it, and she thinks I'm wasting space being in her class, but I like drawing and stuff, so I take it anyway."

"Art?" Leo asked, screwing up his face. Who the hell put Art on his schedule? "Um yeah, Art. My parents are kind of overbearing," he lied, "so they pretty much told me what classes I was going to take."

"Great," she grinned, "we can suck at it together."

"Ok, so I'm guessing that paint splattered door is the art room?"

"Uh huh. It's not hard to miss. Alright, let's see," she said, looking down at his schedule again, "Oh, we have Geography together too. That's Mr London."

"Mr London?" Leo asked, smirking at the irony. 

"Yeah. Don't even _try_ to make any geography jokes. He's heard them all!"

"Alright, I'll try to remember that. So, how do we get to Geography?"

"This way," Piper replied, once again, leading the way. 

"So, are you a good student?" Leo asked her, trying to make conversation as they headed down the empty school halls. 

"What, am I a nerd?"

"No, do you do well at school? That doesn't have to mean you're a nerd," Leo replied, "You don't look like a nerd."

She ducked her head, smiling behind her books at his compliment, and then glanced sideways at him, "I do ok. It seems to keep my Grams happy at least."

"Grams?" Leo asked, pretending to have no knowledge of her family. 

"Um, yeah. My sisters and I live with her. Our parents are um.. gone," she answered softly. 

"Oh. Sorry."

"It's ok."

She led him around the campus, pointing out each of his classrooms, and other vital areas, like the cafeteria, the gym, pool and football field. When they were done, she led him back to his homeroom, where he thanked her for the tour. 

"Um, no problem. I guess I'll see you in class?"

"Sure," he smiled, watching her turn and walk slowly back down the hall, towards her own classroom. He furrowed his eyebrows in thought. She didn't seem to have too many issues, she was polite, smiled a lot, and didn't act very depressed. But then, her problems were supernatural. It's not like she could really bring them with her to school. He decided that he would have to get to know her better, and that this assignment might actually take longer than he'd expected. 

"Maybe that's not such a bad thing," he said to himself, thinking back to the moment he had made her blush and smile. He didn't think he had ever seen anyone look as lovely as she had at that moment. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be sixteen all over again. 

--

Piper was leaning against the large maple tree in front of the high school when Leo jogged over to her. It was mid afternoon, and the sun had begun its descent, but the air was still warm with the last remnants of summer. 

"Hey, um, Piper?" Leo asked hesitantly.

"Hi Leo," she replied, neither her voice nor her face showing any indication of whether she was happy to see him or not. 

"Do you want some company walking home?" he asked, knowing exactly where she lived, in spite of never having been there with her. 

"Um, no I can't. I have to wait for my sister to meet me here. She's always late."

"Oh, ok. Maybe some other time then?" he asked, nodding his understanding.

"Yeah, maybe." She was quiet. Far more quiet than he had ever expected. After seeing her around school and in classes for over a week, he knew she wasn't the most popular girl, but she certainly wasn't lacking for friends, and she certainly wasn't the geek she was so scared of being labelled as when they had first met. When she wasn't around her friends, she always seemed to be deep in thought. Leo knew that her secrets were troubling her, but he was still clueless as to how he could get her to open up to him and help. 

He had tried countless times to get her to talk, but it had so far been to no avail. Leo had hoped that a walk outside of school would help, but his plans had been averted by her little sister. 

He bid her goodbye, and headed in the direction of her house, pretending that he lived nearby, so that she at least wouldn't think he was lying to her. 

Phoebe came bounding down the sidewalk towards Piper, stopping and trying to catch her breath before spouting out, "Grams wants us all home straight form school. She wants to start our training."

Piper's eyes grew wide in fear and surprise, and she quickly bent and snatched up her backpack from where it lay at her feet. "What? How come I wasn't told?"

"Maybe because you disappear out of the house every morning before Grams even gets in a 'good morning'," Phoebe replied sarcastically.

"Well forget it. I'm not going home. And tell Grams when you see her that she can't force me to do any stupid training. I don't ever intend to use these stupid _powers_," she told her sister, whispering her final words. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, Piper ran down the street, calling, "Leo!"

He stopped and turned, waiting for her to catch up. "What about your sister?" he asked when he saw a slightly shorter brown haired girl standing by the tree where Piper had been. 

"She's going home. I decided I need to do some research at the library. Want to come?" she asked, her eyes alight with hope that he would say yes, giving her a decent alibi when she eventually showed her face back at the manor.

"Um, sure. I'm still trying to catch up on the stuff I've already missed by starting the semester late," he replied, smiling as they continued down the street. He kept the conversation going while they walked, making jokes about the teachers they shared, complaining about all the homework Mr London had piled on him, passing it off as 'catching up'. Once they were at the library, and seated in a mostly empty corner, he broached the topic of her problems.

"Why are you always so quiet with me?" he asked carefully, not wanting to make her mad. 

"What do you mean?" she asked, keeping her eyes fixed on her Biology textbook. 

"I've seen you with your friends. You laugh and talk and smile and look like you're always having fun, but whenever you hang out with me, I'm the one who does all the talking."

"Um, sorry. I didn't realise I was doing that," she replied quietly. 

"Is it me?" he asked, somehow knowing it wasn't.

"No, of course not."

"So what is it then? You can trust me you know," he promised her, waiting for her to look him in the eyes. 

"I can't tell you," she said, after she glanced up. 

"I swear, you can tell me anything, and I won't tell a soul. Not one."

Piper shook her head and returned her gaze to the paragraph in front of her. "I can't tell this to anyone."

"Why not?" 

"Because. It's a secret I can't ever reveal. It's just.. something I have to deal with."

"Ok, so don't tell me the secret then. Tell me as much as you can about the problem, but don't give away the secret. Anything has got to help," he suggested.

"I can't," she reiterated.

Leo sighed, frustrated that he couldn't get through to her. "Why did you invite me to the library?"

"What?" she asked, confused at his sudden change of topic.

"Why did you ask me to come with you? You could have come by yourself. I thought you might have asked me because you needed someone to talk to, but since you won't even do that, I have no reason but to believe otherwise."

"I-" Piper began, trying to come up with a valid reason.

"If you're just using me Piper, then I'm going to leave right now."

"I'm not! I swear."

"So why am I here?" Leo repeated.

It was Piper's turn to sigh, knowing that he had caught her out, and that she had no good reason to keep him there. "I'll see you in school," Leo said, packing his books and stalking out.

--

Penny was waiting in the living room when Piper quietly entered through the front door. Noticing the silence of the manor, she began creeping towards the stairs in the hope that she would make it to her room undetected.

"Why didn't you come home with Phoebe?" Penny demanded the moment she saw her granddaughter.

Piper stopped mid-stride and looked to her right. "Because I'm old enough to make my own decisions."

"While you are living under this roof, you will do as I say!"

"No! I told you I'm not going to practice! I never wanted these stupid powers anyway! You can't make me do something I don't _want_ to do!"

"You won't be able to deny this forever," Penny told her, amazed at just how stubborn Piper had become over this issue.

"I can choose to ignore it! I can choose to pretend that it doesn't exist. So what if I do?"

"So what? Piper, do you realise that evil will soon know that you and your sisters have your powers back? Do you know what will happen once word spreads?"

Piper rolled her eyes in annoyance. She knew her Grams was only trying to force her into being a witch. "What will happen Grams?" she asked, her tone dripping with more sarcasm than ever. 

"Don't speak to me that way young lady! Don't you realise that evil warlocks and demons are going to come after you? Don't you realise that you're going to end up dead much sooner than you thought, all because you refused to learn your power?"

"Yeah sure Grams. Whatever," Piper dismissed her, proceeding up to her bedroom.

"One day you will understand Piper! One day, you'll find out that your powers are a gift! I just hope that one day doesn't come too late." When there was no response, Penny sank into the couch, covering her face with her hands. "Why did she have to grow up exactly like you Patty?" she asked, sending her question to the heavens. She never expected an answer.

--

Leo decided that the best plan of action was to stop pushing Piper into sharing her problems. He figured that if she was going to take her time in coming to terms with her powers, then he was going to give it to her. 

In the meantime, he had to continue classes and other activities in order to keep up the pretence of being a teenager. So he did what any sixteen-year-old guy would do; he joined the baseball team. He had always loved baseball, and relished the chance to play again after so many years.  

After a few weeks of Leo's endless talking about the game, Piper finally decided to come and watch him practice. She discovered her own kind of love for the game, and cheered the whole team on, both in practice, and then, at the real games. 

Piper was perched on the bleachers by the side of the Baker High baseball field one particular sunny Saturday afternoon, cheering on the Baker High Bandits towards yet another easy win. They were the best team in the district, and this season proved to be no different. 

The Bandit's opponents, the Washington High Walrus' were up to bat, and the team captain, the guy with the reputation for playing a mean game both on and off the field, stepped up to the home plate, bat raised and ready to swing.  

He eyed Leo as he lined up his pitch, while Leo was busy watching the catcher, who was giving him the signal for a fast pitch. Leo gave a short nod, raised his leg, pulled his arm back, and let the ball fly towards the catcher, zooming directly over home plate and into the catcher's mitt.

"Strike one!" the umpire called, while the batter stepped back, letting the bat fall from where it was raised over his shoulder. He was clearly in disagreement with the call, but knowing her had two pitches left, decided not to dispute it. He stepped back to the plate, waiting for Leo's second pitch. 

Yet again, a fastball sped towards home plate, settling neatly in the catcher's mitt. Leo was good, and everybody knew it; the catcher, the coach, the team, and even the spectators. Cheers erupted from the bleachers, with shouts of "Go Bandits!" and "One more Wyatt!" Piper was grinning proudly, clapping and cheering along with the rest of the crowd, waiting for Leo to throw the third, and hopefully final pitch.

The batter was now even more agitated, and he swung the bat a few times, getting ready for the next pitch. Leo wound up, threw it, and grinned as it landed yet again in the catcher's mitt, the umpire calling, "Strike three! You're out!" 

The Bandits all ran for the bench, clearing the field for the Walrus' to take over. As Leo passed by the furious batter, he commented, "Not as good as you thought, are ya?" 

Leo stashed his glove, and grabbed a helmet and bat, preparing to be first batter at the plate. Glancing over his shoulder, he spotted Piper sitting in the front row, a huge smile on her face. He grinned back at her, and she began clapping once more, cheering him on as he walked towards the home base. He looked up, squinting against the glaring sun, only to find the captain of the Washington Walrus' standing on the mound. 

"Dammit," Leo cursed under his breath. He knew this guy's pitches would be tough to hit, but he knew he could do it, as long as he concentrated. So, Leo prepared himself, crouching over the base, the bat raised over his shoulder, his arms ready to swing. The pitch was thrown, and Leo could see the revenge on the captain's face, as the ball left his hand, sailing towards him, only to fall low over the plate. 

"Ball!" the umpire called. 

The catcher returned the ball, and the pitch was lined up once more. His pulled back, and threw the ball, this time, sailing higher over the plate, the catcher having to raise his glove to catch it. 

"Strike!" the umpire announced. 

Leo dropped the bat to the ground in anger, turning to the umpire and yelling, "That was a ball! No way was that a strike!"

From Piper's viewpoint, all she could see were arms gesturing madly, both Leo and the umpire yelling in each other's faces. Behind them, the pitcher was smirking, holding out his glove to catch the ball. Nothing prepared her for the moment he lined up a third pitch, while neither Leo nor the umpire were paying attention, and sent it flying towards the back of Leo's head. 

"Leo!" Piper screamed, jumping out of her seat and tensing her shoulders, her hands making fist in front of her in fear. 

Suddenly, she was the only person moving. Suddenly, the world around her was frozen. The ball was hanging in the air, barely a foot away from where Leo stood with his back turned. Slowly, Piper made her way out onto the field, looking around in amazement. 

"Did I do this?" she asked herself, knowing it must be her powers. She headed towards Leo, walking around his frozen figure, as well as the umpire and the catcher. She felt like she was standing in the middle of some surrealist painting, with fifty or more abstracted statues surrounding her. 

In the corner of her eye, she saw the ball, hanging in mid-air, and far too close to the back of Leo's head. "Oh my god, what do I do?" She knew that she couldn't be out on the field when time started again, and she knew she couldn't pluck the ball from where it hung, because she'd risk having to reveal her secret. Surveying the situation once more, she decided on a plan of action, and went to Leo, pushing and tilting his frozen form to his left. When she was satisfied, she ran back to the bleachers, sitting down just as everything around her began to move, and all of the noises filled her ears. 

She watched as Leo stumbled over, falling to his knees just as the ball whizzed by. Sighing in relief, she ran out to where he sat, grabbing onto his arm. "Are you ok?" she asked, still worried that her interference hadn't gone as smoothly as she'd hoped. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just lost my balance," he said, looking back at her with confused eyes. 

Behind them, the pitcher was staring at the scene by the home base, with just as much confusion as Leo. How had he managed to miss? He hadn't missed a target in months! He threw his mitt into the dirt, stalking off the field in anger. 

Leo was too caught up with Piper's reaction to notice anything else going on around him. She had thrown her arms around his neck with far more joy than he thought necessary, and he felt a little bewildered. She pulled away, grinning broadly, and then leaned forward, kissing his lips excitedly.

"What was that for?"

"For helping me with my problem," she replied simply. Piper stood and held out her hand to help him up, just as the Bandit's coach arrived on the field. 

"Leo, I think under the circumstances, you should sit out the rest of this game. I'm not going to risk my best player going into shock while running between bases. Go on, get out of here," he told him. 

Though he still wasn't fully aware of what had happened, he did know two things. One, that he had had a close call with a baseball, and two, that Piper had somehow realised her magical ability to help. 

Taking Piper's hand, he led her off the field, looking for a quiet place for them to talk. The game was suddenly the last thing on his mind, now that it seemed his job was done.

They found a bench in the quad and sat down, neither one quite sure where to take the conversation next. She looked sideways at Leo, her smile lopsided, as she ventured the first words, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"I already told you. You helped me figure out my problem. You made me realise that what I was doing was the wrong thing. So I want to say thank you."

"But I still don't even know what I did," Leo replied honestly. 

"You were just being a good friend. I guess that's all I needed."

The silence hung over them once more, while Leo's thoughts turned to the immediate state of affairs, now that his assignment was complete. "Um, I've been trying to figure out how to tell you this, and I still don't know exactly, but I'm running out of time, so I'm just gonna come right out and say it," he began carefully. 

"Ok," Piper replied warily. She knew that any conversation that started out that way could not be good. 

"My um, father is being transferred out of San Francisco, so we're moving again." He hated having to lie to Piper, but he knew the rules. They weren't in need of a full-time whitelighter yet, so he had to keep his true identity a secret. 

"What?" she asked quietly, shocked by his announcement.

"We're leaving tomorrow," he added.

Piper furrowed her eyebrows, looking down at her feet. She hadn't been prepared to hear that. She didn't want it to be real. She had finally found someone who could understand her properly, not just a friend on the surface, but a friend where it really counted. And now he was leaving her. "I wish you didn't have to go."

"Me too," Leo replied honestly, "But you never know, our paths might cross again one day," he continued, forcing a smile. 

"I hope so."

He stood, knowing he shouldn't prolong the goodbye any more than he had already. Holding out his hand, he helped her to her feet, and pulled her into a hug. "I'll miss you," she whispered into his ear.

"Me too. Keep doing whatever it is that has just put that smile on your face," he responded, pulling back to look at her. 

She grinned in return and promised, "I'll try."

Ever so slowly, he leant forward, pressing his lips gently against hers, sealing the goodbye with a sweet kiss. They parted, and neither spoke another word as he walked away and out of her life.

--

It was late afternoon, and Penny stood in the kitchen, arranging a fresh vase of flowers that a friend had dropped around to give her. Piper burst through the back door, her face alight with happiness. 

"Grams! I'm glad you're here," she said quickly in between breaths. 

"What is it Piper?" Penny asked, wondering what was going on with her granddaughter.

"Can we do some training tomorrow? I can't wait to get started."

Penny simply smiled, and reached out to touch Piper's cheek. She was so proud of her for finally discovering her gift.

--

Leo had orbed back to the heavens as soon as he had left the school, and the Elders were waiting to return him to his original immortal body. He stood before them expectantly, waiting for their verdict on his assignment. 

"You've done a wonderful job Leo. Everything went exactly to plan," the Head Elder praised him. 

"Thank you sir. May I ask one question before I go?"

"Of course."

"When will I be able to return to guiding the Halliwell's?" he asked, unable to keep any anxiousness form creeping into his expression.

The group of Elders seated before him simply smiled like a group of Cheshire Cats. "Soon."

The End.


End file.
